Women's Leadership
Empowering voices
Women are essential to agriculture, as leaders on and off the farm, from running a farm or ranch business to advocating on Capitol Hill. The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership program provides women with opportunities for growth and development to sharpen their skills and strengthen their ability to inspire change.
Being involved in the Women’s Leadership Program has molded me into a better leader for Farm Bureau and my community. I encourage all women to get involved.
- Isabella Chism, AFB Women's Leadership Chair
Women's Communications Boot Camp
Women’s Communications Boot Camp is an intensive training opportunity for any female Farm Bureau member interested in building skills needed to communicate about agriculture and Farm Bureau. To date, 269 women have graduated from the program. These skilled alumni provide Farm Bureau with a passionate and persuasive group of advocates who connect with influencers on the local, state and national levels.
One session of Boot Camp was held in the spring; another session will be held in the fall of 2023. Participants will receive training on advocacy, public speaking, communicating with elected officials, social media strategy, targeted messaging and working with the media in AFBF’s Washington D.C. office.
It provided the opportunity to improve my advocacy skills in a number of areas and gain greater confidence as a voice for agriculture. It was also valuable to connect with amazing women involved in farming and ranching from across the country.
— Kat Peper, Women’s Communications Boot Camp Graduate, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Member
Women's Boot Camp graduates use their training:
- by positively influencing elected officials.
- by creating or acting upon local media opportunities to support Farm Bureau’s policy work.
- by joining social media campaigns to share positive messages about agriculture.
- by influencing consumers when planning and implementing outreach events.
- by speaking about agricultural innovations and enterprises with a variety of audiences, community groups, in classrooms and with neighbors.
Women's ACE (Advocate, Cultivate, Empower) Summit
ACE Summit takes place during the summer on even years and is open to all Farm Bureau women. This event inspires and equips women in agriculture as strong leaders and advocates by offering advocacy training, networking, and leadership development. The purpose of ACE Summit is to build a sustainable future by growing women leaders, engaging them with lawmakers and advancing agricultural advocacy.
Ag ConnectHER
Ag ConnectHER’s purpose is to inspire and equip women in agriculture to succeed in leadership. This new project from the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee will elevate and celebrate dynamic and successful women leaders in agriculture by showcasing their leadership journeys, connecting them through a quarterly on-line event with Farm Bureau women from across the country, and inspiring women in agriculture to discover their potential and succeed in leadership. This initiative will spotlight prominent women all across agriculture—from top leaders of ag organizations to government officials or elected leaders.
Ag ConnectHER 2023 Online Event Dates – Held at 8:00 PM EST
- December 5, 2023
Watch the recording of the May 9 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO, National 4-H Council
Watch the recording of the September 5 Ag ConnectHER event featuring Dr. Jackie Applegate, President, Bayer Crop Science North America
Cultivator Newsletter
The Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Cultivator provides program and regional updates on the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership program via a quarterly newsletter. Anyone interested in Women’s Leadership programming is encouraged to sign-up for the newsletter and select their region of interest.
